ABOVE RUBIES NEWSLETTER, #5 2007
Dear Above Rubies reader,Many blessings to you and to your home.
The new issue of Above Rubies, #71 has now been sent out across USA. You may already have received it or will be receiving it in the new couple of weeks.
You will see pictures of our four new children in the new magazine. We are enjoying our new life with them very much. It certainly keeps us young!
I am sure you enjoyed a wonderful 4th July. Our traditional 4th July is a very full day. At lunch time we join with folks from all around our community for a big Fish Fry. It has been held at this property for about 70 years. We start with singing the National Anthem and saying the Pledge of Allegiance and then it’s time to eat and fellowship while the children enjoy swimming and catching crawfish in the creek.
We then have a big barbecue at our home in the evening. I couldn’t count how many people we had this year. As our usual custom, had running races, sack races and an egg throwing competition and huge fire works at night.
Colin and I fly this morning (leaving in a moment to catch the plane) to northern Wisconsin to take a Family Seminar. We have two more retreats this month. Here they are as follows:
13 – 15 JULY, VIRGINIA
LADIES RETREAT at Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center, Toano, VA Contact: Angela Sunderamurthy, Ph: 804-633-5358
Email:
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www.varubies.org
27 – 29 JULY, CALGARY
SECOND FAMILY CAMP at Living Faith, Caroline, Central AlbertaContact: Bob and Ruth Klepel, Ph: 403-722-2059
Email:
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THE RIGHT EMAIL
If you are emailing me, please use my current email which is
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THE RIGHT PHONE NUMBER
I have just noticed that our phone number is printed incorrectly in the current magazine. I am not sure how this happened as it wasn’t changed from last magazine where it is printed correctly.
It should be
1 877 729 9861.HAPILY EVER AFTER
In the new magazine, page 11, you will read an article by Melissa Coffey. Melissa was in labor as we were finishing up the layout for the magazine and of course couldn’t talk on the phone. Here’s her latest news:
“I was experiencing labor contractions and wasn't comfortable talking on the phone. We ended up having labor fizzle out, on and off for the next two weeks. Our daughter finally arrived on 2 June at home, into her Daddy's hands.
I wanted to also tell you that we had a son on 12 April 2006. He had a condition called Thanatophoric Dysplasia which is a fatal form of dwarfism that causes chest cavity, not to develop enough to grow lungs. He was born at 32 weeks and lived for almost an hour. We were blessed by his birth. I never thought I could survive the loss of a child, but the power of God was intense through this time and I will never walk in doubt of Him again.
I could never understand the smiling faces of the mothers in Above Rubies whose stories included heartbreak like losing a child. I thought, "How can they be smiling after that?" It never made sense to me. That was the ONE thing I KNEW I could never endure. Or so I thought.
How can you explain how huge God is in the midst of the worst possible thing to happen to a mother? How can you explain that in the moment, when you are saying good bye to a precious baby just moments after saying hello, that you can rejoice in God's goodness? It's so very hard to put into words the comfort of a very REAL God who loves us so much.
I never wish this experience on anyone, but I can say I am blessed to have been chosen to give one of my children back to Him before I was ready to do so. I say that because of the very real, very powerful knowledge that God loves our children more than we ever could and that His way, His timing and His plan are so much bigger and better than ours. My sweet baby is in Heaven, waiting for me to arrive, praising His father.
And God blessed us mightily again with our new little one who looks so much her brother that it takes my breath away.
Melissa Coffey,
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A bad faux pas
I have to give my apologies to Kim Mills and Kristy Smith. Somehow Kristy’s family picture was placed on page 18 instead of Kim Mill’s family. I am so sorry about this. My graphic artist popped it in and I didn’t check it. With the four children arriving from Liberia and doing the new magazine at the same time, I wasn’t as focused as I usually am. I am very about this.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU
Oh please, please forgive me. Many months ago I mentioned that if you had beads you didn’t want or necklaces that were broken and you didn’t know what to do with, to send them to me as my Liberian girls would love to make necklaces out of them. It worked. They have loved doing this and have already used up the ones that were sent for them.
And by the way, please, please forgive me for not thanking each one individually who sent some of these. I have my little list which I have been meaning to write to and thank but somehow I just haven’t been able to find the time, and I have felt so guilty about it. I want you to know that I am so grateful and that it was such a blessing to the children. Thank you, thank you.
BEADS, BROKEN NECKLACES AND MATERIAL
As I mentioned, they have used them all up already. So, if any others have beads or necklaces that are broken and unused that they could use to make beads, feel free to send them on. They won’t be wasted. They will be well-used. The girls love to make necklaces and they are very creative. It is so wonderful for them to have the opportunity to do something creative. They have never had any resources to do these things before. They’ve never had books to read, or resources to make anything practical.
We have also procured sowing machines for them and they love to sow (although Sapphire broke hers the second day!) Now I can’t find enough material between the three of them. So once again, if you have any spare material you don’t know what to do with; you are welcome to send it on. They’ll use it up!
Our home address is:
8875 PRIMM SPRINGS RD
PRIMM SPRINGS TN 38476-1925
THE CALL
Here in Nashville, this Saturday, 7/7/07, thousands of young people will be converging on the Titans football Stadium to pray and seek God for repentance and revival in this nation.
Although this will be a huge event, I have also heard that there is a
DAY OF PRAYER FOR CHILDBIRTH on the same day. You most probably won’t be coming to Nashville, Tennessee but you can be part of the
Global Day of Prayer for Childbirth. Take some time to pray about issues that affect pregnancy, childbirth and the immediate post-partum.
More NURSING STORIES
You will enjoy the wonderful Nursing Testimonies and the different names that little ones call nursing in this issue of Above Rubies. I was so blessed by the response to this subject by our readers. I received far more than I could ever have room to print.
Here are a couple more wonderful stories for you to enjoy and I will send more next newsletter. Have to catch this plane…
HOT SAUCE
I have loved nursing all 13 of my babies and praise God for the experience! The oldest is now 23 and the youngest is 3. During the 24 years of our marriage, I have been either pregnant or nursing or both for most of that time. Occasionally, Charity (now 3), will say "Do you want love?" and she climbs on my lap for cuddles and kisses. Sometimes she will say to me, "I want to "ursy", which is short for "nursery", or I’ll say "Do you want to "ursy"? Then l tease her and ask, "Do you still remember how?" and smiling big she says "Yes!" She gets into position she pretends to nurse. Even weaning a toddler can be fun!
With each of my first three babies, breast engorgement caused discomfort at the onset of nursing, so I determined while pregnant with number four, that I would wait to wean my two year old, Audrey, until breastfeeding was going well with my newborn. One afternoon, while I was nursing Audrey, I asked her, “Is that good?” Still nursing, she said, “Mmm Hmmm”. Then I asked her, “What does it taste like?” With a smack, she pulled off the breast and said, “Hot sauce”! Then she went right back to nursing. I was amazed! I had not known that breast milk could be so tasty!
Jeanne Buckingham
Alderson, Oklahoma, USA
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Bob and Jeanne’s children are: Lisa, Daniel, Audrey, Matthew, Greg, Ryan, Emily, Suzanna, Kevin, Victoria, Natalie, Zachary, Charity.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER
I never thought that I would nurse my babies. I didn’t know anyone who breastfed their children and the idea was completely foreign to me. However, while reading a pregnancy magazine while pregnant with my first child I came across an article that revealed all the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding and I was sold on the idea. I never knew how dramatically that choice would change my life. God’s natural, free, and beautiful method of nourishing my baby was the best gift I received as a mother.
The first five days after my son, Justus, was born were extremely trying. I had read everything I could about breastfeeding and thought that I was well prepared, but as we all know, experience is the best teacher. My milk did not come in for the first five days and my son was hungry. Being young and nervous as a new mom, I did what my doctor told me. I let him nurse and then I finished feeding him with a bottle. But on day six, my milk came in abundance and I threw away the bottles and finally, joyfully my son received only breast milk.
As that first year flew by, I realized how amazing our womanly bodies are! Within my body alone I had everything I needed to keep my baby perfectly chubby and healthy. Breastfeeding helped fight off infections in his body as well as prevent diseases in mine. It consoled him when he was upset, it helped him go to sleep, and I got more sleep as well since there was no reason to get out of bed to make a bottle during all those nighttime feedings. (And there were a lot of them!) It also gave me the ‘excuse’ to sit down and rest every three hours, and God knows we mothers need to rest, especially at first when our bodies are healing. But of all the benefits of breastfeeding, the benefit of bonding with your child is absolutely the greatest. Being ‘forced’ to hold your child every three hours or so around the clock because you are the only one who can provide his needs serves as amazing bonding time.
With the birth of my second child, a beautiful little girl we named Evan, I came to fully recognize God’s masterful plan of nursing. As I held her in the minutes after her birth, I was excited and proud, but I thought, “Who is this little foreigner? I don’t know you.” I longed to hold her brother in my arms. It was the first time we had been separated and I missed him. But as I put her to my breast and began to nurse her, something beautiful and life-changing happened. She latched on right away. There was no five days of struggle and persevering. She nursed with ease and expertise and my heart melted immediately. I fell in love so totally at that moment through the sweetness of breastfeeding. It was the same way with my third child, another beautiful girl named Shiloh.
Looking back, I wonder how long it would have taken me to bond with my children, especially my second and third, if I had not nursed them. Would I have held them as much, or would I have sat them in a bouncer and propped up a bottle when I was busy? Would I love them as intensely? Would I spend as much time with them if I didn’t have all those precious days and nights of nursing that taught me so much about their value and revealed their personality? Whenever I pick Shiloh up to nurse her, she grins at me so big. She knows I am her Mommy and she is pleased with me. There is no greater joy than a toothless smile on a satisfied baby.
My other children are very interested in breastfeeding. They have so many questions that I try to answer for them. When I was pregnant with Shiloh, my son was three and he would ask me about my changing body, including my breasts. I told him they were my milk makers for the baby. He now calls them my ‘milks’. He asks me why I feed Shiloh with my milks, and I have a perfect opportunity to tell him about the God who created our bodies for His divine purpose.
It is sweet to see my children walk by and softly kiss their baby sister’s head while she rests in my lap nursing. I am so thankful for God’s perfect planning of our bodies and our family. I believe God often uses simple and natural methods to bring us into his will and redeem our families. He did it with our family and just think, if there had been bottles in Moses day, he would have never been nursed by his mother and learned of the True and Living God from his young age. Pharaoh’s daughter might have had compassion on him, but she would have sent a servant out to the store to buy some formula for baby Moses and he would have never become the mighty man of God that stood against Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt. God made our bodies function in this way for a purpose, His purpose. I look forward to spending my days and nights nursing many more children for the glory of God.
HEATHER BEST
Nic and Heather have three children, Justus (4), Evan (2) and Shiloh (3 months).
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Blessings until next time.
NANCY CAMPBELL
Top Tips for Little Ones
Talcum powder is good for removing wet sand from babies and toddlers, without harsh rubbing from a towel.
Can tops. Collect up empty and clean tops from hairspray cans, shaving foam cans, laundry liquid scoops, etc and put them into a box. They make great playthings for various activities like pouring water, stacking games, holding pretend tea parties, for use in the sandpit etc.
Laundry basket. Your laundry basket is not only good to use when hanging out the laundry, but children love to play in it. It can also be used as a portable playpen for babies who can sit up or almost sit up by themselves. Put in a pillow and a few toys to keep them entertained. If you have a paddling pool, just put your laundry basket in with the baby inside. This stops the toys floating away and subsequent reaching and slipping under the water. It can be used in the bath in the same way.
Cleaning-up help. Another use for your laundry basket is to carry toys and a picnic lunch in at the beach, travelling from the car to the sand, and for tidying up at home. Load it up with items that need to be put away in other parts of the house, and it will save you lots of little trips.
Toilet Training. To help your son with toilet training, drop little pieces of toilet paper into the bowl and get him to aim at them until he gains better control.
'Veggie-hating' young children. Blend raw veggies in a food processor or chop very finely and then add to soups, stews, casseroles etc. They should be so minute that they aren’t even noticed. they aren't even noticed.
Bath toys can be stored in a mesh fruit bag that can be hung over the bath taps after use to drain.
Sandpit Box. A broken or damaged paddling pool or even an old dingy can become a sandpit by adding clean sand and a cover.
Sandpit covers. Plastic trellis is good to cover sandpits with, as it stops animals fouling the sand and is easy for children to remove by themselves.
Try tying a teething ring to the pram, highchair or changing table, so baby always has something to rattle and chew on (especially during teething), that can't get lost.
Medicine. If your baby won't take medicine from a spoon, put it in baby teat and let them suck it. For tablets, crush up and mix with a spoon of honey.
Old towels can be turned into baby bibs, or put in the bath to stop slipping.
Make sheets last longer. When your child moves to a big bed, turn their sheets up the other way each week, instead of washing them, as they are usually so small that they only use 1/3 of the bed anyway. It will help the sheets last longer and wear more evenly too.
Avoid Spills. If you find your young ones spilling their drink at the table, buy a placemat with a colourful picture or animals and numbers etc, and teach them to put their drink down on one particular shape each time, that is safely out of elbow reach. You will find they enjoy looking at the placemat and even when it is not there, they will still remember where the drink should be in relation to their plate and elbows.
Empty wet wipe containers make great baby rattles with pebbles, stones, rice, acorns etc inside. Be sure to secure the top with cellotape or masking tape so they can't be opened easily. They can also be used to store matchbox cars or plastic animals if you remove the lids, or make a moneybox out of one by enlarging the slit in the top and covering with paper and decorating.
Bags for bibs. Calico bags made in a tube shape with elastic or ribbons at each end make good storage bags for baby bibs or hankies. Put clean ones in the top and pull them out of the bottom when needed. The bag can be hung on the side of the highchair by attaching a piece of string to it, or tying with its ribbon.
Cardboard Boxes. Most children love big cardboard boxes, so save any you can for a few days, and let them play in and around them using their imagination to create boats, cars, dolls houses etc.
Always keep a container of wet wipes and a box of tissues in the car. You will probably use them very frequently for all sorts of messes.
To help your baby to sit up and play with toys on their own, blow up a child's swim ring and place it around their tummy. They will enjoy poking it especially if it has bright pictures on it, and will offer protection all around if they happen to topple over.
Keep a nappy (diaper) bag always packed and ready. Add to it every time you use a nappy or something else from the bag. Keeping a can of baby food (with a peel top lid, no can opener needed) is handy if you are caught out with a hungry baby or break down somewhere unexpectedly.
Peppermint essence is a good quick alternative to creams to help stop itching after receiving a mosquito bite, especially for children as it doesn't irritate sensitive skin and smells good too.
Toy scoop. To quickly pick up small blocks or toys off the floor, cut up a plastic bottle like a large sauce bottle that has a handle on it, and use that to scoop up the toys. Your children will want to use it to tidy up too.
Inexpensive and changeable mobile. Instead of buying an expensive baby mobile, you could purchase a plastic clothes hanger with pegs attached to it, and then hang up different coloured toys that can be changed regularly.
Clean doll's tea sets by soaking in water with a little bit of baking soda. It takes away any stains and makes the plastic smell fresh again.
Baby baths that are no longer used can be put outside with lots of plastic odds n' ends in them to use as a little paddling pool during the summer months. They can also be used as a doll’s bath, small sandpit, toy storage box inside or under the bed, or in your garden with herbs or flowers planted in it.
Children’s baking equipment. Save boxes and empty containers that are suitable for pretend baking, like Christmas pudding containers, baking soda containers, yeast and yogurt potties, empty salt and sauce bottles, an egg carton, small spice packets etc. When you are baking and have a toddler or two at your feet, you can get out their box of baking equipment along with an old spoon and an ice cream container or plastic bowl, and they can keep busy baking on their own.
Clean and empty roll on deodorant bottles can be re-used by adding sunscreen to them from a large pump pack for your child to put in their swimming bag. You can also add liquid paint to them for a different kind of painting effect.
To make a quick indoor ball, either roll up a pair of socks inside itself, or roll up a sheet of newspaper or coloured junk mail and secure with cellotape.
Clothes pegs. If you run out of toys or ideas to keep your little ones amused, especially if on holiday, get out the clothes pegs. Small children will like to chew on them and put them in and out of a bucket or container, and older children will enjoy clipping them together to make models or laying them down into shapes or colour grouping them. You can also set up a container and practice tossing one peg at a time into the container moving further away each time you get one in.
Fluffy feather. A very inexpensive and entertaining idea for a young baby is to put a little honey on their fingertips and give them a fluffy feather to play with.
Howick, New Zealand
Ross and Victoria have three children, Keegan, Cayden and Jaymee.